Play Away The Pain
by stella96
Summary: A case takes it's toll on Danny when the team go to cheer him up they learn an interesting thing about their Haole.


PLAY AWAY THE PAIN

To say it was an emotional week would be an understatement. They had been working a new case, the case involved a child rapist murderer who targeted eight year old girls with brown hair and brown eyes. They had five bodies in the morgue. Five emotional family meetings that Danny had broke the news at every one (because he was truly the best at it). At every family meeting someone had asked the detective if he had a child when he said he was sorry. He showed them a picture of grace and every one gave him a sympathetic smile. They could see the case was tearing at the haole.

It was true that they were all tired but Danny was practically dead to the world he was so out of it. He had slept perhaps one hour every night since they had gotten the case. Every one could see that he was running on the last strands of fumes, coffee and nothing else. But they had finally caught the guy. He was dead only after opening fire on them and getting Chin in the arm and Danny in the side as he pushed Kono out of the way. Chin's was a flesh wound that had missed the artery only required a few stitches. Danny's was a through and through to his left side that required thirty stitches but it didn't hit anything vital and he was released a few hours later.

Danny went home late Friday night before every one else. He was limping slightly, from the gun shot wound and the fact they had run a couple of miles, his knee was not impressed. The moment he left the other three Five 0 members planned. They decided that they and Danny all needed some serious cheering up.

Kono left and got Malasdas from Danny's favorite place. Chin left and got Cocoa puffs from the place he and Danny agreed was the best. Steve left and picked up a 24 pack of long boards. The met a block from Danny's house.

Every one smiled at that word, house. He had finally found a place that was permanent that was his. It was a two story four bedroom two bath house with a back yard that made it perfect. One of the bedrooms had been converted in to a study/library which surprised the five 0 members, who knew Danny had enough books to have a library? He refused to show them the study when they got to see the house after he moved everything in, he said it was not quiet done yet.

They made it to his front door to find it locked. The lights were on so they knew he had not just come home and crashed like he deserved to. Steve took out the spare key that Danny had given him and unlocked the door silently.

Danny was in the study with the door open. Music flowed out the door into the living room where his friends were standing entranced. They all sat on the couch and let the music course around them.

It was a violin, crying softly, high and sweet. The crying turned into anguish and the music sped up. The sorrow rolled around the room bringing tears to their eyes. After awhile the soft crying replaced the anguish and the notes quivered with emotion. The soft cry came to a soft end that only could have been brought around by death. There was a soft pause before the music started again. It was harsh and quick, full anger and hate. The emotion took away their breath. It raged on filling the house with the strong emotion. Finally it was replaced with a low voice weeping in the silence. The lower voice was joined with the higher voice from earlier, but now it wasn't sad it was happy and peaceful. The lower voice became peaceful as well and they sang together for a short time before the higher voice left leaving the lower voice to finish it's song. It dwindled down and the house filled with silence. All three of the five 0 members sitting in the living room had tears rolling down they faces.

Danny walked out go the study still holding his violin and stared at his friends in shock.

"Uh, hi? How long have you been here?" "Long enough to know that you play like a pro but never told us." Replied Steve without the slightest bit of venom. He wiped his eyes hiding all the traces of tears.

"Huh long enough to have Zen, Rookie and Super SEAL crying."

"Not crying!" Replied Kono and Steve defensively.

"It's okay, I cried while I was playing. It's not bad to have emotions. Kono you have to have emotion to be a great cop. Same goes for you Steve, while you are working for Five 0 you aren't a SEAL you're a cop. Get used to it."

'Why didn't you tell us you could play?"

Danny shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't know. Never seemed like there was a time in conversation when I should tell you."

"How long have you been playing?

"Thirty years."

Danny could visibly see their eyes pop.

"I started when I was four. Mom liked music and pushed it on all the kids. I was the only one that stuck with it."

"Any other secret talents you care to share?"

"I also pay the trumpet, cello, and piano."

"Do you have them here? Can you play them for us?" Steve asked hopefully. Danny had played beautifully and Steve wanted to hear more.

"Only my trumpet. The piano is at my parents house and a guy loaned me a cello while I lived in Jersey. He wouldn't let me buy it when I moved here."

"Why didn't you buy your own after you got here?"

"Do you know how much a decent cello and piano cost? Thousands of dollars. I don't have that kind of money plus I only just got the room for them. In a few months maybe I'll rent a cello from a music store and in a couple of years when I've saved up I'll find a piano."

"Will you play us your trumpet?"

"What do you want me to play?"

"What ever you want."

Danny went into the study and got his trumpet. He pressed it to his lips and closed his eyes. He played softly letting the notes whisper around the room forming a lullaby. Danny swayed as he played, flowing with the music. He played until he thought he was going to play himself to sleep. He brought the song to graceful end and opened his eyes.

Kono was passed out leaning against the arm of the couch. Steve sat at the other end his legs spread out, head resting on the back of the couch, his face a mask of blissful happiness that was seldom seen on his face even in sleep. Chin sat in between them, the only one still awake. He was equally as peaceful looking as the other two, a gentle smile on his lips looking at Danny with intelligent eyes.

"I don't think I have ever seen you so peacefully content brah." Whispered Chin hoping to keep the two people beside his asleep.

"Playing does that to me. If I have a bad day or a problem I cant figure out I come home and play until something makes sense.

When I was going through that rough patch with Rachel about the baby and Steve was in jail, Kono had lost her job and you were back with HPD I played till my fingers bled."

"It's like free therapy and anger management." Observed Chin wisely.

"Yeah guess that's why I stuck with it all these years. It was one thing that always made sense to me."

"Does any one else on the island know you play?"

"Besides you guys Rachel and Grace, Meka was the only other one. He found out pretty much the same way you did only I ended up pointing my gun at his face until I recognized it was him."

"Why were you so jumpy?"

"We had just finished a case involving a large gang and shall we say they are not on my list of possible contacts."

"Your charming personality didn't win them over?" Chin joked.

"Um no. After they beat me to hell and back Meka and I arrested them. They told us that the ones of their group that we had locked away was only a small portion of their group and I was now on the top of their list.

Meka made me go to the hospital after they checked me out he took me home. He came back a couple hours later because I had left my pain meds in his car."

"How bad did they beat you?" Chin had no idea that Danny had ever been hurt while with HPD.

Danny shrugged his shoulders.

"Broke my right arm, two of my fingers, five ribs, cracked three others. Broke my leg, dislocated my shoulder, gave me a concussion, wonderful black eye, fat split lip and bruised every other part of me."

"Why didn't you go to the hospital as soon as it happened? How did you manage to make it through an arrest and interrogation?"

"I was full of adrenalin, I honestly didn't think it was that bad until we walked out of the interrogation room and I collapsed."

"Why didn't you ever tell us?"

"Didn't seem important."

"What?!" Chin screeched and looked at the two other people at his side to make sure they were still sleeping.

"Hold on." Danny picked Steve up gently not waking him, he carried him upstairs to the guest room removing his boots with out incident. When he tried to take off Steve's pants the SEAL's hand stopped him.

"Wha?" Asked Steve blearily.

"Just me babe."

"Danno? Okay, feel free to take the boxers if you want."

Danny chuckled quietly. "No babe you can keep those can I have your shirt though."

"Mmhmm." Steve lifted his arms and Danny slid the shirt off as well. He folded them nicely and set them on the night stand before making his way down stairs.

"Should I over think the fact that Steve told me it was okay if I wanted to take his boxers?"

Chin chuckled. "Naw just think of it enough."

"To tired to think that thought through tonight."

Chin looked at Danny incredulously.

"Do you know how many T's were in that sentence?"

"Eleven why?"

"Never mind." Chin sighed in mock annoyance

"Is it okay if I put Kono in Graces room?"

"Go for it. But don't you dare undress her!"

"Wouldn't dream of it brah! She'd kill me."

Danny lifted her gently and took her upstairs to Gracie's room. The bed was a full so the Hawaiian woman fit fine.

"Now can we finish that talk haole?"

"Ask away oh Zen master."

"How could you possibly think it wasn't important enough?!" Some how Chin had managed to save the anger until they resumed their talk.

"Did you tell us all of the bad things that happened to you while you were with HPD?"

"No one beat me to hell and back and put me on a hit list!" Chin whispered angrily.

"And that was two years ago! They have yet to execute it you know they are all talk."

"So truthfully I want a detailed review of what happened."

Danny sighed and ran his hands through his hair. "Fine. Meka and I split up to search a warehouse that we had gotten the tip they were hiding. He took the right I took the left. They knocked me upside the head and bound my arms behind my back. The leader took first start he kicked me again and again, he untied my hands and pulled my arm behind my back, popped it out of place. Some fat person came up and broke my arm, fingers and leg. Then they just took turns kicking me seeing how much damage they could do before Meka noticed that I was missing. I don't know how long they had but when Meka broke in he took out three of them and it gave me the chance to get up and get my weapon. They were stupid enough to leave it on me. I took out two and we left four. Thought I was just a little bruised so we called for a bus for the others and took the four back to HQ.

We interrogated the leader and he told me I was on their list. Meka got a little mad and the captain pulled us out. We were talking in the hall way when my leg gave out and I collapsed. For some reason the adrenalin high I had been on had decided to wear off. The captain checked me over found what was actually wrong and made Meka drive me to ER. They patched me up and sent me home. Meka came back a couple hours later when he found my pain meds in his car. I was playing and I heard my door open. He stood in the dark for a little bit and the next thing I know is I have my gun in his face telling him to drop his weapon. I finally figure out it's him and we had pretty much the same talk I had with you guys. The day I met Steve was the first week that I was back. Guess that's why I kind of freaked out at him when I got grazed. It was along time before the captain let me back on field duty and it was ridiculous that I had got shot at already."

"You staying here tonight?" asked Danny trying to change the subject

"If you don't mind. It's way late and Malia is working tonight."

"Go for it, down the hall to the right you can sleep there."

"Isn't that your room?"

"Yeah but it's fine right now I could sleep in the bath tub."

"No way brah am I taking your bed."

"Chin it's fine I'm sleeping on the couch which I gotta say is actually pretty comfy. Night."

Chin rolled his eyes and made his way to the younger detectives room. His room was spotless, now that Chin thought about it the entire house was spotless and organized. He looked on the shelves and noticed that the few books he had in his room were alphabetized by author then by title. Every thing that had a label on it was in alphabetical order as well. Chin chuckled, Danny was so going to hear about this in the morning.

Steve and Chin were awaken about an hour later to a scream that filled the house, it wasn't a scream of pain or anger it was of someone who had had every thing ripped away from them.

Both men tore into the living room to find a frightening sight. Danny was sitting on the floor rocking back and forth his hands digging into his hair harshly. He was sobbing his eyes shut tight. Steve didn't hesitate, he dropped to his knees beside Danny, grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him into his chest. Steve rocked with the blond man until his sobs quieted and he leaned into the SEAL's chest.

"Hey Danny it's okay. Ssshh. Do you want to talk about it?"

"No." Was murmured into the taller mans neck.

Chin sat on Danny's left side blocking him in. "Brah have you had nightmares all week?"

"Since we got the case."

"Will you please talk to us about it?"

"Why? I would prefer not to have to think about it."

"Brah is it the same dream every night?"

"Yes."

"Do you go back to sleep?"

"No."

"So you've acquired about five hours of sleep since we got the case?"

"Yeah."

Steve shook his head in amazement.

"No wonder you were so distracted this week."

"Wasn't that bad."

"Yeah it was. You hardly said anything this week."

"And yet most of the time you would pay me to shut up, just cant make you happy."

"I'm hard to please." Steve said cheekily.

"Yeah I know."

"Brah will you tell us your dreams please?"

Danny sighed and leaned back against the couch letting his head fall to the seat.

"It's dark and I hear a little girl scream, she screams and screams then there is silence for a little while and I hear crying and a scream and crying again then it's silent and I know she's dead.

Then a light comes on and I see Gracie laying on her back and she's been beaten and she's naked. Our suspect comes in and he gets on top of her and he rapes her! He rapes my baby! She cries for me and she looks at me and screams.

"Daddy, daddy stop him he's hurting me! Make him stop daddy please!"

He keeps raping her and when he's done he leaves her on the floor and walks out. She looks at me crying.

"You didn't stop him Daddy, why didn't you stop him? Don't you love me?"

Danny's voice sped up and he's panicking tears flowing down his face.

"He comes back in and does it again. The same thing happens and she cries so hard. He takes out a knife and he slits her throat. He sliced my baby up. She cries and chokes and there is blood every where. She looks at me with her dying eyes

"You don't love me daddy! Why didn't you stop him, he hurt me. Danno why didn't you stop him?"

Then she's gone and I wake up."

Danny drops his head into his hands and sobs. Steve holds him close and Chin does the same thing.

"Ssshh it's okay babe. Grace is safe and we got the guy. He's never going to hurt another child again. He's gone. You made sure of that, you put a bullet in his head"

But Danny doesn't hear him, he's hyperventilating.

"Chin go and get a cold wash cloth, quickly please.

Hey Danny relax it's okay, she's not gone, in the morning we'll give her a call and you can see she knows you love her."

Danny still doesn't hear he's rocking back and forth hand clutched at his chest.

"Damn it Danny calm down before you have a heart attack."

Chin rushes back into the room with a wash cloth in his hand. He hands it to Steve who places it on the back of Danny's neck and rubs it gently.

"Steve what just happened?"

"He had a panic attack. Cant say I'm surprised, I just hope this didn't happen every night and he was alone."

"What do you think happened if he did?"

Steve shrugged his shoulders and kept rubbing Danny's, his breathing had slowed down but he still didn't hear them.

"He probably hyperventilated until he passed out then woke up and stayed up all night."

Chin shook his head sadly. "Why couldn't he tell us he was hurting so bad?"

"Because it's Danny and he thinks he knows what how to handle everything."

"Are you calling me a control freak? That would be rich."

Steve and Chin sat up straight and looked at the blond detective.

"You with us partner."

"Never went anywhere Steve."

"Yeah you did Danno you were spaced out and had a panic attack. Have you had others this week?"

"Why does it matter?" "Because hyperventilating that often is so not good for your brain."

"Yes most nights I would wake up from my dream have a panic attack pass out and wake up in a few minutes later and be up from the rest of the night. Do either of you want a beer?"

Both agreed and Danny stood to go to the kitchen. He swayed a little but steadied himself and made his way to his kitchen.

"Is Danny going to be okay?"

Steve sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.

"I don't know, I will do anything to make sure he is but what he saw could haunt him forever."

"Not nice to talk about people when they leave the room."

"How do you know we were talking about you?"

"I can hear."

"So are you going to be okay?"

Danny sighed. "Who the hell knows. Is Kono still asleep?"

Chin chuckled. "Yeah she could sleep through a volcano explosion."

"Which would only happen on this rock."

"There are other volcano's in the US."

"But they didn't build cities on top of them." Danno yawned.

"Tired Danno."

"No my brain needed oxygen."

"Probably but that's not always what yawning means. You should try to go back to sleep."

"Don't want to."

"I know that. Why don't you share the guest bed with me and I'll wake you the moment I think your having another nightmare."

"Then you aren't going to sleep tonight."

"Yeah I will plus I've slept more than six hours in the past week."

"Why don't you both sleep in Danny's room and I'll take the guest room."

Steve nodded his head. "That works too. What do you think Danno?"

"I think that you just want in my bed."

Steve smiled sheepishly.

"Don't worry Steve I wont take your boxers."

Steve looked slightly confused then his eyes widened in alarm.

"Oh my gosh I thought I was dreaming! I am so sorry!"

"Have a lot of dreams with me taking your boxers babe?"

Steve blushed scarlet. Chin laughed and made his way to the guest room.

"Hey Danny the walls all look pretty sound proof. But try to get some sleep tonight!" Chin stated from the stairs.

"Come on babe. Tonight let's sleep maybe another night we'll see how sound proof the house is." Both men made their way into Danny's room. Steve was a little confused of how his and Danny's relationship had begun but honestly he didn't care. Steve couldn't help but notice the same thing that Chin noticed, and Danny thought he was OCD. Steve curled his long body around Danny and fell asleep instantly.

Danny was a little reluctant to sleep but with the calming breath of his partner on the back of his neck and his steady heart beat Danny too was lulled to sleep. His night was dreamless, with Steve beside him he felt safe and the nightmares did not come.

~End


End file.
